WILCO BENEFIT CONCERT at MASS MoCA

There are still a handful of tickets available for this special event. Call the Box Office at 413 662 2111 to inquire.

MASS MoCA and Wilco have announced that the band will perform this summer in North Adams on July 31, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the museum, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization. This special evening will take place in MASS MoCA’s Hunter Center, an indoor venue which will have a capacity capped at 1000, in a general admission, standing room only configuration. “On a different and more intimate scale than Wilco’s other New England appearances, this will be a rare opportunity to feel Wilco’s ‘whole love’ up close,” said MASS MoCA Director Joseph Thompson. “The museum galleries will be open until 30 minutes before the performance that evening for those who want to take in some art as part of their visit.”

In a break with the sometimes inconvenient — and frequently frustrating — tradition of awarding scarce concert tickets to the person who happens to be the first to break through a long telephone queue, tickets for the concert are being sold through a unique “Name your Own Price” auction/lottery. “It’s an experiment, which we hope proves to be more civilized, more fair, and more fun than the standard mode of ticket sales,” said MASS MoCA Director Joseph Thompson, “and we hope it brings MASS MoCA the strong charitable support which is at the heart of this special evening.”

The first 500 tickets will be sold to bidders who make the highest offers online over a two and a half day period which begins at 10 AM on Friday, April 13, and runs through 10 AM on Monday, April 16. To maximize the chance of getting tickets -– and also support MASS MoCA -– bidders should make the highest offer they can. Those whose bids are not among the top 500 will still have a chance to score tickets to this performance when their bid is placed into a random lottery. Bidders drawn from a hat will be offered the opportunity to purchase a pair of tickets at the price named on their bid form.

The benefit is courtesy of Wilco, with additional support from Higher Ground Presents.

Wilco’s latest album, the Grammy-nominated The Whole Love, is out now on the band’s own dBpm Records. “Quite simply, this is the work of a great band at the peak of their powers, and The Whole Love is a joy to hear…confirming once again that Wilco is as good a band as America can claim in the 21st century.” – All Music

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Jeff Tweedy formed Wilco in the mid-1990’s. The Whole Love is the third album by the band’s current lineup, which solidified in 2004 when guitarist Nels Cline and guitarist/keyboardist Patrick Sansone joined Tweedy, founding bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche and keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen. Together, they released Sky Blue Sky in 2007 and the Grammy-nominated Wilco (The Album) in 2009. Wilco have won Grammy Awards for their 2004 release A Ghost is Born in the Best Alternative Album and Best Recording Package categories. Wilcoʼs Jeff Tweedy won a Grammy award as producer for Mavis Staples’ 2010 album You Are Not Alone.

Wilco have released 10 studio albums to date, including Mermaid Avenue Volumes 1 & 2, which, in collaboration with British folk singer Billy Bragg, set original music to song lyrics by the truest of American icons, songwriter Woody Guthrie.

Wilco’s dBpm Records is a full-service label releasing all future Wilco recordings and more. ANTI- Records provides distribution and additional label services for all dBpm releases. In 2010 Wilco, in collaboration with MASS MoCA created the Solid Sound Festival, a three-day event of music, art, comedy and culture. The festival returns to MASS MoCA June 21, 2013. For more information please visit wilcoworld.net or facebook.com/wilcohq.